This book was so cute! I was absolutely in love with Lydia and Arthur. I loved how they worked together. I also loved the tension and relationship slowly building between the two. Their relationship was sweet and spicy all at once. I enjoyed the mystery of trying to find and catch Davis.

Alexandra Vasti has quickly become one of my favorite historical romance writers…and this is just her second novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, both the romance and the mystery, and especially when those paths wound together. I especially enjoyed the author’s note and finding out that a lot of the historical facts were lifted straight from the history books.

I’d highly recommend this book and am already looking forward to the next one!

Romantic, funny, adventurous--in a word, delightful. I was in a reading slump and this was absolutely the book to reinvigorate my joy and love of reading.

Socially anxious Lydia shows up at the Earl of Strathrannoch's Scottish castle determined to propose a marriage of convenience. After all, they have been corresponding for three years, and while he doesn't know her name or that she's an heiress, they have found much in common when it comes to social and political beliefs. When she meets the gorgeous, somewhat gruff Scottish earl, though, he has no idea who she is--turns out, she's been corresponding with his brother, who has recently stolen one of his inventions and can't be found. It would be disastrous for the invention to get into the wrong hands, so Lydia agrees to help Arthur (the earl) hunt down his brother. Cue the madcap road trip adventure, complete with fake marriages, only-one-bed temptations, French spies, and misunderstandings. Add in a bit of epistolary courtship and *chef's kiss*.

The plot alone makes this a fun read, but the character development is what makes this special. Neither Lydia nor Arthur are social butterflies, and they each lack complete confidence in themselves. But wonderfully, not only do they trust each other because of the steadfastness and honesty they perceive, but they become more brave and assertive through their time together. I liked them each from the first page, and they only grew on me as the story went on.

If you are looking for a captivating historical romance, you can't go wrong here. Since it's the second book in the series, I'm going back to read the first and looking forward to the next.

This gave me Candace Camp vibes in the best way. A historical romance set in the early 1800s travelling between London and Scotland with mystery, espionage, intelligent characters, love and personal growth.

This is a past-tense, dual POV. It's tastefully spicy and very respectful. The author notes point out the connections to actual history for reference, which I found extra entertaining.

Thanks NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Alexandra Vasti for this eARC.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 5 Stars
I had a lot of fun reading the book! I was not expecting so much action for a book set in the regency period, and I loved it!

I loved Lydia’s character in book 1, and I was excited to read her story and see her grow in confidence.

•Fake Marriage
•"My wife"/"my husband"
•One Bed
•Action packed mystery solving
•Open Door Spice
•Dual POV (third person)

Thank you NetGalley for giving me access to an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I just discovered Alexandra Vasti and the only thing I don't like about her writing is that there isn't more of it for me to binge read. I just loved Earl Crush so much, starting with the random zebras that show up right at the start. This is a marriage of convenience historical romance with a twist - the female main character - Lydia - is a wealthy heiress who has been communicating in secret with the Earl of Strathrannoch in Scotland for some time - ever since he contacted her after she published one of her very spicy and radical political pamphlets. His estate is in dire financial trouble, and Lydia decides to offer herself up for a marriage of convenience. This is particularly impressive because Lydia basically can't talk to men (or even most women she doesn't know well) without literally throwing up, but she lies to her family and brings her close friend with her on a secret trip to Scotland to offer her hand. The only issue is that, well, the Earl of Strathrannoch, Arthur, is not actually the person with whom she has been corresponding for years. That was his brother, posing as the earl, and apparently gathering intelligence, though neither Lydia nor Arthur can be sure what for. As Arthur and Lydia try to find his brother - and figure out what he's up to - they get closer as they get more involved in a potentially dangerous political plot. This is everything I love in a historical romance - humor, a mystery/adventure subplot, and unexpected animals. I can't wait to read more from Vasti.

Ah! So fun! It doesn’t quite have the spark of the first book, and there’s maybe one too many steamy scenes (shocking, I know). But it was so engaging that it became a very quick read! I’m really enjoying this series. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

I got an early copy because I was signed in Vasti's newsletter.

Like always I will be using the Elyse Myers rating System to be organised about rating this book.
Alright here we go:

Earl Crush: ⭐⭐⭐.5/5

plot: 0.5/0.5
I loved the plot of this book, it was unpredictable and I especially loved the intrigue espionage part of it. It's not done frequently in the romance genre and it's rarely done well, so that was a great change.
I did feel though that sometimes things didn't make sense, I don't know how to explain it, but at moments I felt like woah what just happened (not in a oh-this-is-unexpected kind of way but more of a how-did-we-even-get-here kind of way) , Why did that happen, you know?

‌characters: 0.5/0.5
The characters of this book were adorable and I loved them very much, from my awkward, socially anxious, badass FMC to my also awkward, introvert, cinnamon roll MMC. The side characters were fabulous as well; I loved Lydia's chaotic brothers, Huw and Albert and even Davis. I feel Georgie didn't get to shine though. I know this is a trilogy, so there's one more book, I don't know who it will be, but I will be happy whoever it will be (I'm hoping for Georgie or one of Lydia's brothers or maybe both*🤞🤞*).

‌setting: 0.5/0.5
This is set in Scotland and while I wish we spent more time in nature, it still felt autumn-vibes cozy and I loved how that tone felt.

‌pacing: 0.25/0.5
The pace on this was alright, but it felt too slow in some occasions.

‌writing style: 0.5/0.5
This is written in third person double POV as is common in historical romance and I have nothing to comment on it. It was witty and easy to read and I had a lovely time.

‌themes: 0.25/0.5
The themes in this one were not as complicated as other things I've read and while that accounted for an easy enjoyable read, it also reduced the potential of the book. One theme specifically I really missed was the politics of the nobelity and the struggles of the working class under said policies and don't get me wrong, I don't want this book to be a detailed study on the subject matter or anything, it's just that since the FMC was a political writer I thought there would more focus on it, so the lack of that was disappointing.

‌originality:0.5/0.5
I don't think I have ever read a book similar to this one and I don't think there are many books like this one. Like I have mentioned in "themes" I think this could have been even better and more flushed out, but it does remain special and original.

‌emotional provoking: 0/0.5
This isn't a very emotional book and that's OK, I didn't want or need it to be.

‌overall enjoyment: 0.25/0.5
I did enjoy this book while it lasted, however it dragged on for a long time and honestly I don't think I will reread it anytime soon.

‌ending: 0.25/0.5
The ending was weird. I really don't know what else to say about it other than that. I felt like a lot of things that were really uncalled for happened and I don't understand it. It was very bizarre to me.
(view spoiler)

Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5/5 to

I have loved everything I've read by Alexandra Vasti and Earl Crush is no different. Vasti has created a story that balances humor and heart with lots of horny thoughts (and moments) and a nice touch of intrigue. Lydia is brave and relatable and exactly what Arthur needs. He's a goner from the first moment and I love that in a male main character. I can't wait for the next book.

Truly one of the freshest regency romances I’ve read, and actually better than the first book in the series. The main characters are loveable and comfortably predictable while also feeling so powerfully different than other regency leading ladies. Thoroughly enjoying this series!

Another fun, clever, sexy Annalise Vasti regency romp complete with a strong and clever FMC and unproblematic, willing-to-learn, charming earl. It was fun to be back in the world of Belvoir's Library (though I did miss Selina in the beginning). This one took me a little bit longer to get into then sped off! I liked the exchange of balls and society for some spying and Scotland. Vasti remains laugh out loud funny, incredibly clever, and perfectly sexy.

Reading this book is like drinking a cup of hot cocoa under a warm blanket on a cold day. It will just make life feel a little bit better.

Lydia and Arthur are both great characters. The books is funny, sweet, and heartwarming.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Interesting setup, and I loved the progression of Lydia and Arthur’s relationship, from not liking each other, to thinking about each other, to love. I also enjoyed the side-plot/mystery going on while Lydia and Arthur are figuring out their feelings for each other. Very well written and an enjoyable read! I also enjoyed the author’s previous book Ne’er Duke Well, and would read any others in this series! This book could also be read as a stand-alone novel, but it was fun to see some of the previous characters from Ne’er Duke Well mentioned in this story.

A fake marriage of convenience, political espionage, and stampeding zebras? This has everything (and more) a historical fiction romance reader could want. And best of all Lydia and Arthur’s love story was sweet and swoon-worthy. I can’t wait for more from Vasti.

I very much enjoyed this book. Lydia, the feminist wall flower that is the main character, is so much fun to get to know throughout the book. Her trusted friend, Georgiana, is a great side character as well. Arthur, the reclusive earl that is the main male character, is interesting & sexy. Lydia & Arthur start off without knowing each other but she thinks she knows him from letters he has written. The letters were written by his brother pretending to be him, so obviously that is a problem. The ensuing adventure that they end up going on & the sparks that fly as they do is so entertaining. Highly recommend reading this one!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the
E-ARC! So cute!! Loved the historical elements & the banter! Will definitely read more from this author.

Heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace is notorious for being too shy to speak with strangers, but she’s been writing radical pamphlets under the pseudonym H and corresponding with the Duke of Strathrannoch. When he writes of the dukedom’s financial struggles, she decides to travel to Scotland to propose marriage. But when she gets there, Arthur, the Duke of Strathrannoch has no idea what she’s talking about, and it becomes clear that his brother has been impersonating him. Arthur asks Lydia for her help in finding him, which starts an adventure across Scotland and England that includes fake marriages, Napoleonic spies, and a rifle scope that could have catastrophic consequences.

For a me to rate a book as five-stars, it tends to need to have some really feral longing, and “Earl Crush” by Alexandra Vasti really delivers that. Arthur is just so very gone for Lydia and is really in awe of how incredibly smart and capable she is. Although he doesn’t seem very political himself (really, he just wants to be left alone in his Scottish castle, and who doesn’t?), he is 100% supportive of her and at no point implies that she’d have to give up her life’s work to be with him. I especially loved the short scraps of messages at the start of each chapter. Alexadra Vasti writes really fun scenes and dialogue without it ever starting to feel silly, and if this book had another 500 pages I would have read each one without hesitation.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

Looking for a historical romantic comedy loaded with your favorite tropes and strong characters? Look no further than Alexandra Vasti's Earl Crush.

Lydia's brave proposal gets foiled when she realizes that the Earl of Strathrannoch is in fact NOT who she has been exchanging letters with the past 3 years. But don't worry, Arthur has a proposal of his own that takes the two of them on quite the adventure.

Read if you like:
- Regency Romance
- Grumpy Scottish Men
- Mistaken Identity
- Pining
- Fake Marriage
- Mystery

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

The journey that Lydia and Arthur together was so beautifully written. I cannot even begin to express how much I enjoy this book. From the banter to the side characters, I loved it all. I also loved how historically accurate the author kept the story. I could have happily continued reading for a few hundred pages more, I didn’t want their story to end. But their ending was perfect so I can’t complain to much.

I want to preface my review by saying that I originally chose not to send feedback because I’ve realized that regency romances just aren’t my thing currently. However, I can still appreciate good writing and story telling!

I give this 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4.

Lydia and Arthur were quite hilarious together which I loved. Lydia grew into herself a lot through the story and I loved seeing an Arthur’s more protective side come out.

Overall, the story was tender and engaging and I think those who loved Ne’re Duke Well and other historical romances will be huge fans of this book!